Solid training events are an ideal way to enhance Soldier retention and Postal Matches offer an approach accessible to all units.

Fort McCoy, Wis.

Members of the Great Lakes Training Division (84th Training Command) led by Cpt. Joshua Gisi (HHD Commander), Master Sgt. Jeffrey Bruce (Senior Command Career Counselor), and Sgt. 1st Class Theodore Stevens conducted Army Reserve Postal Matches during their weapons qualification at Fort McCoy. The training created a very high qualification rate, with all but one Soldier in attendance passing successfully.

For the Postal Match, the GLTD Soldiers fired the Margaret Thompson Murdock and William James Sutton Postal Match. “We are a One Star Command providing Observer Trainers for command group operations and this was our first time firing any of the Postal Matches. It was a test run for us,” said Master Sgt. Bruce. “We also reviewed the biographies of the Soldiers each match is coined after. The unit appreciated the historical connection, especially the Equal Opportunity lessons found in Maj. Murdock’s story. The new revisions to the Postal Match are a dramatic improvement over the old design and we appreciated all the changes and updates.”

In addition to the training value, which integrates well with the Army’s current progressive and gated Weapons Training Strategy detailed in TC 3-20.0, these Postal Matches also provide a high retention value. “I am a Senior Command Career Counselor and as Special Staff to a Brigadier General, I work with all of our down trace units on retention, sponsorship, and recruiting programs. Being able to help a down trace unit conduct a Postal Match adds value of me doing a Staff Assisted Visit,” said Master Sgt. Bruce. “I am proud of my HHD allowing me to test my ability to add this training to their event so I can offer it to other units. I feel these Postal Matches enable me to do my job better, make drill time more enjoyable, build morale with in units, improve marksmanship skills, and add value to the Army overall.”

Good training such as this is an ideal way to increase Soldier retention throughout the Army Reserve. “When I was an Army Reserve Career Counselor, a Water Reclamation unit I supported had the strongest retention with Soldiers fighting to join,” said Master Sgt. Bruce. “It’s not that water reclamation was overly rewarding, it was because the unit hosted a Schützenschnur (German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency) every year and they created a massive draw as Soldiers enjoyed serving when they were able to do motivating training. Postal Matches are a way every unit can offer something similar for their Soldiers.”

Overview:
Camp Atterbury, Ind. —
The Army Reserve Marksmanship Program hosted a retention and training event at Camp Atterbury. Open to all Army Reserve Soldiers, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship is an Army Regulation directed event consisting of a mix of precision and timed action shooting events using issue service equipment shot on paper, pop-up, and steel targets from 25 to 400 meters. The event also included a formal qualification with a 100% go rate among all attending Soldiers.

“Events like the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship provide solid training and are great for Soldier retention,” said Command Sgt. Major Larry May, 84th Training Command. “This is an opportunity that many Soldiers (including me, before I attended) don’t realize exists. I consider this to have the same value as the pending ACFT and deserving of the same amount of attention.”

The precision events provided the benefits of shooting at full distance (25 to 400 meters) from multiple positions with full feedback of each shot. The precision requirements were more stringent than those commonly found in sniper training as the silhouette targets featured a number of concentric scoring rings inside the target’s center area.

The action events combined a fitness add-in based on the pending Army Combat Fitness Test with timed shooting on reactive steel and pop-up targets in various scenarios. Shooting positions were based on the new Army qualification with an emphasis on using barricades for kneeling and standing positions to engage targets while being timed.

In addition to the training, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship also served as a retention event. “Events like these Small Arms Championship are what the Army needs to do. In addition to training, events like this have a high retention value. Retention ultimately saves money because Soldiers decide to stay in the Army, instead of leaving,” said Lt. Col. Charles Hensley, 310th ESC (377th Theater Sustainment Command). “This event has provided good quality team building. For instance, my team has Soldiers from different units within our Major Command. Being part of a team keeps Soldiers in, especially when they can attend events like this.”

Members of the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program also provided coaching to the Soldiers. “Too few Soldiers experience true marksmanship instead of mere qualification,” said Cpt. Amnouayphonh Thammarath, 310th ESC (377th TSC). “Events like this are great for building confidence by providing full feedback to maximize training on a variety of scenarios, especially shooting at long distance. Looking at trends for the past 20 years, we need true subject matter experts capable of teaching at a higher level.”

“I’ve been passionate about shooting for 30 years and have been in the Army for 16. Members of the Competitive Marksmanship Program have instructors that help Soldiers absorb quality information easier versus the forced approach more common in the Army,” said Spc. Nakia Petersen, 390th Regiment (108th Training Command). “Soldiers are often hampered from the ineffective drill sergeant approach, which is too one way. The skilled competitive shooter-instructors in the Marksmanship Program use teaching methods more conducive to learning. They want you to learn and know the best way to teach you.”

Directed by Army regulation, the Army Reserve Small Arms Championship are held as often as Soldier interest and funding allows. In addition, all Army Reserve Soldiers are eligible to host and participate in Postal Matches during their any unit qualification as a means to get started on these retention and training events. This event featured Soldiers from the 84th, 108th, and 80th Training Commands, USACAPOC, ARCD, 83rd ARRTC/RTA, 100th TD, MIRC, First Army, and the National Guard, and the USARCMP would have liked to host more.

Integrating new Army small arms doctrine with the Postal Match and Excellence In Competition Programs led to a large increase in Battalion-level qualification rates.

The 345th Military Intelligence Battalion (MIRC) enlisted members of the Army Reserve Marksmanship Program to help conduct their small arms training, leading to a better than 99% qualification rate. Conducted at the McCrady Training Center in Eastover, South Carolina near Fort Jackson, the 345th MI held an extended Battle Assembly focused on getting their Soldiers up to speed on the Army’s new small arms training doctrine.

“Our goal was to break the negative effects of Army institutional inertia,” said Lt. Col. Luis Garcia, the 345th MI BN Commander. “We can’t make an improvement by doing things the same as before.”

During qualification held the previous year, the 345th MI BN qualified less than 35 of its Battalion’s Soldiers. This year, those numbers increased to a 99.2% qualification rate, the best the Battalion has done in a number of training cycles. Part of the improvement was due to instruction led by Army Reserve Marksmanship Program to counteract common issues. “I learned my drill sergeants at Initial Entry Training were wrong about a number of things, including how the sights work, how to use them, or correct zero procedures. I didn’t know any of this until I received this instruction from the Shooting Team,” said Spc. Paula Delgado, HHD 345th MI BN. “I also learned that I’m cross-eye dominant, which was a concept my drill sergeants never discussed or identified.”

The 345th MI BN also made full use of the Army’s new small arms training doctrine, starting with the current zero targets. Despite now being official for three years, the 345th had to go outside of the Fort Jackson area to locate these targets. “We called range operations at different locations throughout South Carolina and Georgia with no initial luck, but eventually found that Fort Benning Range Operations had some for our use,” said Sgt. Jenny Lewis, Supply Sergeant for A Co., 345th MI. “It took a 3.5-hour drive to pick them up so our Battalion would have them but I got it done. Mr. Outlaw (yes, that is his name) at Fort Benning was extremely helpful.”

Despite issues with local active duty support at Fort Jackson, the 345th MI found the South Carolina National Guard at McCrady to be knowledgeable and supportive. “We’re already tracking on the new standards and equipment on our end, including having barricades for the drills and qualification courses. We’re ready to support Soldiers on this in FY2020.” said First Sgt. Andrew Goza, South Carolina National Guard. In addition to supporting Soldier training at McCrady, First Sgt. Goza, a winner of the Governor’s Twenty marksmanship award through the National Guard, also works with the South Carolina National Guard competitive marksmanship program.

On top of the 345th learning about the Army’s new small arms standards, the Battalion implemented a Postal Match and Excellence In Competition events into their training as an additional gated and progressive approach. Both events feature shooting at a faster and more stringent pace than normal qualification. These events are available to all Soldiers and units in the Army Reserve.

Maj. Jason Konefal, Executive Officer of the 345th MI BN, led the way by winning the 345th MI BN EIC Pistol event with a score of 162 -3X (162 points with three tie-breaking X-ring hits.) The 345th had 87 Soldiers eligible to complete the EIC and the top ten percent of the finishers will receive formal Department of Army Orders in their permanent record awarding “Leg” points and authorizing wear of the bronze Excellence In Competition badge on their Army Service Uniform.

Army Reserve Soldiers of the 412th Theater Engineer Command, HHC, conducted an Army Reserve Postal Match as a part of their Individual Weapons Qualification at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center on July 20, 2019.

Motivated by the training guidance of Chief, Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey to create the most lethal, combat-ready Reserve Force in United States history, Cpt. Jesse Campbell (412th TEC, G3) took the initiative to host this event during the IWQ portion of the 412th TEC’s Extended Combat Training held on July 18-20 at CSJFTC as an improvement to training.

Despite foul weather and some logistical hurdles, Cpt. Campbell led his Soldiers through Individual Weapons Qualification (IWQ) with their M4 carbines and had the best and most motivated complete the Postal Match as a means to conduct the advanced training. Cpt. Campbell explains here:

“We had some issues with ammo and transportation along with some bad weather, but my Soldiers saw the training through and earned a successful result,” said Cpt. Campbell. “Staff Sgt. Roger Ashley, our public affairs, was our top shooter for the event and did a great job!”

The World-wide Chief, Army Reserve Postal Matches are designed to be conducted as a part of unit qualification to provide the means of conducting small arms training beyond routine qualification. These courses are a part of the progressive, gated exercises directed by TC 3-20.0 and can be used to Validate skills during Table IV or V to greatly improve the first-time “Go” rate during qualification, Table VI.

Excellence In Competition is a program dating back to 1884 to recognized skilled military and civilian shooters that accrue 30 EIC “Leg” points as Distinguished Riflemen. The EIC Postal Match is a reduced distance course using scaled targets at 25 meters to simulate most of the shooting done on Match 321, the EIC course recognized by the Army Marksmanship Unit and used throughout the Department of Army. While this Postal Match is not an EIC course, it serves as a practice tool for those that aspire to earn advanced marksmanship badges and awards.

Army Reserve Soldiers competed at the Pistol Nationals, winning a number of team and individual events and teaching at the Small Arms Firing School.

Army Reserve Soldiers competed at the Pistol Nationals held at Camp Perry July 7-14. These National Matches are required under U.S. federal law (Public Law Title 36, U.S. Code § 40727) and our Marksmanship Program represents the Army Reserve by coaching people during the Small Arms Firing School and competing in the National Matches.

Staff Sgt. John Rosene (HRC-IRR) and Sgt. Nick Mower (200th MP Command) competed together for the Two Man Team matches, taking first place in the overall aggregate, first place in the .45 and Center Fire, and second place .22 for this event. Both Rosene and Mowrer represented our country by being selected for the U.S. Mayleigh Challenge Team. The Mayleigh Challenge is an international Postal Match open to all English-speaking countries around the world, held since 1947, and shot in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Jamaica, South Africa, and the United States of America, with the winning country awarded the Mayleigh Challenge Cup.

The Army Reserve team also had a number of individual wins. In the overall, Staff Sgt. John Rosene won the High Reserve among all service branches and Staff Sgt. Sandra Uptagrafft won Match 114 to become the .22 Only 2700 National Champion. This also made her the first place female and first place Metallic Sight. In the President’s Match, Staff Sgt. Rosene finished in the top ten while Sgt. Chris Liming earned the tab for the first time. In the NRA matches both Sgt. Liming and Maj. Bourne won the Service category for their respective skill Classifications.

“The Army Reserve Team had a great year at Perry and did an awesome job at the Pistol National Matches,” said Maj. Bourne. “Oh, and we are rocking the old school team black hats again, just as directed by Army Regulation!”

The 1st Mission Support Geographical Command, 301st Military Police Company conducted an Army Reserve Postal Match at the Camp Santiago Joint Maneuver Training Site on April 11, 2019.

Motivated by the training guidance of Chief, Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey to create the most lethal, combat-ready Reserve Force in United States history, Sgt. Luis D. Torres took the initiative with the support of his training NCO, Staff Sgt. Mendez, and used their combined 30+ year experience as local State Police S.W.A.T. law enforcement officers to conduct the advanced training.

“We had the opportunity to run a Postal Match during our unit’s weapons qualification battle assembly,” said Sgt. Torres. “Instead of just ‘burning’ the leftover ammunition, we took advantage of the situation and implemented improved training. I had brought a supply of already-printed EIC targets and instructed Soldiers in the unit that volunteered for the opportunity to shoot the match.”

The World-wide Chief, Army Reserve Postal Matches are designed to be conducted as a part of unit qualification to provide the means of conducting small arms training beyond routine qualification. Excellence In Competition is a program dating back to 1884 to recognized skilled military and civilian shooters that accrue 30 EIC “Leg” points as Distinguished Riflemen. The EIC Postal Match is a reduced distance course using scaled targets at 25 meters to simulate most of the shooting done on Match 321, the EIC course recognized by the Army Marksmanship Unit and used throughout the Department of Army.

“I went over the course of fire and gave my Soldiers some dry run practice so they could get used to reloading from their gear while assuming the different positions under time constraints. I brought my Pocket Pro Timer II to accurately time our training and when shooting the course for record,” said Sgt. Torres. “What a great experience! I know my Soldiers felt humbled and acknowledge that we need more training. This was a great way to get there. There’s no time nor resources to spare as an Army Reserve Soldier!”

All Army Reserve are eligible to participate in these events and units are encouraged to host them. The U.S. Army Reserve Marksmanship program can help units provide this training opportunity for their Soldiers.